G'view grapplers fifth at Hanford Winter Cup

Rodriguez named 'Outstanding Wrestler'

RICHLAND - With three individual champions, the Grandview wrestling team grabbed a fifth-place finish in the 13-team field of the Winter Cup, held yesterday in Hanford.

The Greyhounds collected 137 points as a team and overall champion Sunnyside earned 190 points.

The middle and heavy weight classes again led the way for Grandview.

Dalton Walker earned first-place honors for the 'Hounds in the 135-lb. weight class, recording a 7-3 decision in the finals over Hanford's Scott Casas.

At 145 lbs., Fernando Godinez earned the tourney title in his weight class by pinning Garrett Woods of Kennewick during the championship match.

Grandview's third and final champion was Joe Rodriguez, at 285 lbs. Rodriguez pinned all four of his opponents on the way to the title. In the final he pinned Hanford's Ben Gaston with just 11 seconds left in the match.

"Joe dominated the match, he was up 7-1," said Coach Jeff Sevigny, who noted Rodriguez earned the pin by using a move called "barb wire" in which he was able to control his opponents arms.

For his effort in winning the 285-lb. title with four convincing pins, Rodriguez was voted the outstanding wrestler of the tourney for the upper weight classes.

Placing third for Grandview was Greg Gonzalez at 152-lbs., defeating Richland's Jeff Crawford 9-0 in the consolation final.

Grandview's best showing among the lighter weight classes was by Santos Guillen in the 103-lb. weight class. Guillen earned third-place honors with an 11-0 thumping of Pasco's Kevin Kronvall.

"Santos only weighs 90 pounds but he's a tough kid," Sevigny said of the sophomore, part of a youth movement underway in the Grandview wrestling program.

Grandview's only other wrestler to place was Adrian Jasso (215), who finished fifth after losing to Sunnyside's Josef Barajas 4-3 in the consolation final.

Sevigny said the Greyhounds could have had a shot at finishing second as a team at the invite if they would have had Jacob Robillard (171) back from an ankle injury.

Sevigny said Robillard should be healthy in time for Grandview's next action, a CWAC dual meet at Selah next Thursday, Jan. 4, 2007.

The coach observed, "We're fighting some colds and a few nagging injuries, but we should be back to full strength and make a second half run."